


haircut to the heart

by itsmylifekay



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-03 00:41:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21170558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsmylifekay/pseuds/itsmylifekay
Summary: 5 times Buck cuts Christopher’s hair and 1 time Christopher helps cut his.Or, little slices of life following Eddie and Buck getting their shit together and becoming a family.





	haircut to the heart

Eddie’s at a table with the rest of the 118, crammed together at some hole in the wall Italian joint that Maddie had an in with. She’d dropped by to see Chimney, the place had come up, and somehow it was decided that they’d all go after shift and they’d called their respective families and off-duty crew to join as well. The poor place is packed with just their group, every table pushed together in the center of the small room with mismatched chairs dotting the outside.

It’s loud with all of the overlapping voices and laughter, so Eddie doesn’t hear the little bell above the door that signals Buck and Christopher’s arrival. The chair beside him pulls out suddenly and Buck lifts Christopher into place, smiling crookedly at a stunned Eddie who’s too distracted by the parted pink of Buck’s lips to immediately notice the proud way Christopher’s grinning in his seat. Then, Maddie is telling Christopher how handsome he looks. And Hen is telling Eddie he’d better watch out, or pretty soon Christopher was going to start sporting tight shirts and a hero complex.

It’s then that he notices the shorn sides of Christopher’s head, a cut that Eddie definitely doesn’t remember him having when he dropped him off with Buck the previous day.

Buck ruffles the top of Christopher’s hair and flops down at the boy’s other side. There’s already food on the table and Buck is still obviously going at 60mph, not having slowed from his rush to get here. He looks over at Eddie as he’s shrugging out of his jacket.

“Sorry man, figured you wouldn’t mind. Christopher heard where we were going and wanted to look nice and I have a pair of clippers at home. The style was all him, though.” He looks down at Christopher and the two exchange wide smiles, fist bumping before Buck reaches over to help Christopher with his jacket as well.

Eddie shakes himself back into focus, cups the back of Christopher’s head and rubs his thumb over the short hair above one ear. “Looking sharp, kid.”

He doesn’t get to comment much more than that before their attention is pulled elsewhere, more food arriving and new conservations starting up, Christopher eager to drink it all in. Eddie watches from the corner of his eye as Christopher interacts with Buck the entire evening, looking up at him with stars in his eyes and positively glowing each time Buck turns to include him in the conversation. Watches Buck smile every time Christopher laughs, melts a little each time and can’t help the way his heart is feeling lighter and lighter in his chest.

That night, when he’s getting Christopher tucked into bed, he’s treated to an endless stream of what he and Buck had gotten up to together—all the Legos they’d built, the park they’d gone to, the breakfast they’d made, and finally how excited Christopher was to have a haircut like Buck’s. Eddie couldn’t help but smile.

“I thought that’s where some of the inspiration might have come from.”

Christopher nods and settles back into the blankets. “I want to be cool like Buck.”

“You’re already cool, bud. I’m sure Buck would be the first to tell you that.”

“I know,” Christopher shrugs. “He said my hair was already perfect, but you said last weekend that I needed a haircut soon. And then he said he could cut it real quick before we left, just the sides though. He said you’d get mad if he ruined my curls.”

Eddie has to laugh at that. “Sounds about right. I’m glad you two could figure something out. Now, you ready for bed?” Christopher nods and Eddie takes a moment to smooth down the blankets, brush some of those same stray curls from Christopher’s forehead before leaning down to press a last kiss to his temple. “Sleep tight, kid.”

“Night, dad.”

Eddie turns out the light and goes to his own room, starts gathering up a load of laundry to put in in the morning. His chest still feels warm and his mind wanders to Buck.

He wonders what it would be like if Buck was there helping him get Christopher to bed, was leaning in the doorframe with that cocksure grin and a promise in his eyes. It makes his cheeks flush and his heart beat faster. He dumps the last of his dirty clothes in the hamper and takes a deep breath. Has a cold shower and goes to bed.

He dreams of a familiar smile and parted pink lips.

\---

“Dad, where’s Buck?”

Eddie looks up from where he’s doing the dishes from an early dinner, has to suppress the smile threatening the corners of his lips at the pout Christopher’s got going on. It’s impressively adorable.

“I’m sure he’ll be here soon. He had some errands to run first, remember?”

“Yeah,” Christopher sighs and looks wistfully at the door. “I just want to make sure we have enough time to get ready.”

“We’ve still got a couple hours before it’s be time to head out. Don’t worry.” He finishes the last of the dishes and wipes off his hands. “We can always start with your costume if you want?”

As expected, Christopher shakes his head no. His pout somehow gets even more impressive. “Buck has to be here. He’s bringing something important.”

Eddie lifts his brows at that. “Oh really?” It’s the first he’s heard of it.

Christopher nods. “Yeah, he’s—”

There’s a rattle at the door and Christopher is off without another glance in Eddie’s direction, crutches clacking against the floor. He can hear Buck getting through the door and the excited shout as Christopher runs directly into his legs, Buck’s low voice and the subsequent footsteps towards the kitchen.

Eddie is completely unprepared for what comes to the doorway.

It’s Buck, but a different Buck than any Eddie has ever seen before. He’s got on faded black jeans with holes at the knees and a black band t-shirt with some kind of crying skull on the front. The shirt is sinfully tight and Eddie should really be used to all of Buck’s… _everything_, considering the amount of times they get changed in the locker rooms together, but something about the way his biceps are pulling at the shirt sleeves has his mouth going a bit dry.

“I know, right?” Buck laughs. “Just wait until you see the rest of it.”

Eddie whites out a little at that. Is slightly afraid of what _the rest of it _could entail.

“I think you look cool!” Christopher bumps against Buck’s legs, then looks over in Eddie’s direction. “You should get dressed too, dad. We have a lot to get ready.”

“My costume’s pretty easy, sure you don’t want me to help you with yours first?”

He gets a firm headshake in the negative. “Nope, Buck has to help me with it first. Right, Buck? Did you remember?”

“Course I did.” He shrugs a bag off his shoulder and gestures for Christopher to go on ahead of him. “Lead the way, little man.”

Eddie follows them down the hall and watches as Buck pulls another, smaller bag out of the first. He lays it on the bathroom counter and unzips it to reveal a set of clippers and other grooming supplies.

It’s then that Christopher notices him. “Dad! Go get dressed!”

Eddie holds up his hands, “Okay, I’m going. I know when I'm not wanted.” He catches Buck’s eyes as he backs away, gives him a nod and what he hopes is an encouraging smile.

He hadn’t been lying when he said his costume was easy, and it only takes him a few minutes to slip on a tattered old pair of jeans, a black muscle shirt, and a pair of black boots. He runs some product through his hair to mess it up a bit, slips the pair of drumsticks he’d gotten online into his back pocket, and calls himself complete.

Figuring Buck and Christopher will need some more time, he putters around getting things ready for Christopher’s costume. He sets out the younger boy’s clothes and the sheets of temporary tattoos they’d bought. He digs the plastic pumpkin bucket out of storage.

Finally, he walks back to the bathroom, sees Christopher sitting on the edge of the bathtub and Buck carefully smearing purple temporary dye into his hair. Or, what’s left of it. The sides are shaved down again, even shorter than before, and the curls at the top have been wrangled into a mohawk. Christopher looks absolutely thrilled. Buck’s hands are purple up to the wrist.

Eddie leans against he doorframe and shakes his head. He can only imagine how stupidly soft his expression must be, but he dares anyway to see what he’s seeing now and not react the same. “I hope for your sake that’s washable.”

Buck looks down and laughs. “It is. But do you wanna help me give him a look in the mirror real quick? I don’t want to clean it off yet if we’re going to need a few finishing touches.”

Eddie steps forwards and lifts Christopher off the tub, setting him in front of the sink so he can take in his new look.

“It’s perfect!” He smiles up at Buck then looks up at Eddie. “Isn’t it cool?”

“Very cool. But I’m assuming we’ve got to let this dry a bit before we get you in the rest of your costume?”

Christopher nods. “Yeah, but while it’s drying we can finish your costume.”

“My costume?”

Eddie wasn’t aware there was anything missing.

“Yeah, and Buck’s too.”

He looks up to see Buck’s reaction, but Buck just shrugs. “I’m down for whatever. Halloween’s like the one night a year we get to go this crazy.” He steps up to the sink to wash his hands and as the purple drains away Eddie notices the black staying on Buck’s fingernails. Nail polish. On every nail.

“Guess you’re right,” he says, voice a bit tight and eyes still stuck on Buck’s hands as he takes them out and dries them with a towel. He wants so badly to reach out and touch.

Buck clears his throat and Eddie snaps his eyes back up to his face.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Buck doesn’t look entirely convinced, but lets it go. They both turn to Christopher instead.

“What exactly are you hoping to add to our costumes, bud?” Eddie asks. “I don’t think I have much else around the house that could pass for punk rock.”

Christopher just smiles and tells both of them to stay put, heads off to his room on his own and leaves Eddie and Buck to look at each other in question until he comes back a minute later, sheets of temporary tattoos stuffed in his pocket.

Eddie is the first in the hot seat and Christopher makes him sit on the closed toilet as he sponges skulls with flames and hearts with arrows across his arms. Then he gets to a black rose and presses it to the side of his neck. The cold water gets down his shirt a bit and he almost misses the way Buck says, “Oh yeah that reminds me” before slipping out of the room.

He doesn’t think much of it until Buck reappears a minute later with a thin black choker around his neck, silver studs reflecting in the bright lights of the bathroom. Eddie is suddenly worried that Christopher is going to feel his heart speed up, small hand still pressing the sponge right above his pulse.

“Maddie had this stored somewhere from her brief rebellious phase,” Buck explains. “When she heard what we’d be doing she insisted.”

Eddie’s aware he should really say something, but all he can manage is a nod and a slightly strangled noise. He puts his own hand over Christopher’s, taking over the sponge and hinting that Buck still had a lot of empty skin to cover if only to spare himself any further mortification.

Buck ends up with a few extra tattoos of his own before Christopher’s hair is deemed dry enough and they all go to get him dressed. It takes a bit of finagling to get the shirt over his head without ruining the hair, but with Eddie guiding his arms and Buck holding open the collar, they manage. Before long, he’s in jeans and a ripped t-shirt, heading right back to the bathroom to put on his own tattoos.

And Eddie thinks he’s off the hook, he really does. He can’t imagine what other surprises Buck could pull off that would rival the first. Or the second. Or the third.

He’s already having a hard time keeping his eyes off the other man, imaging what it would be like to trace a finger under the thin band around his throat, what it would look like to have those dark painted fingers against his skin.

Then, it’s time to leave and Eddie sees what’s waiting by the door. Buck slings the electric guitar over his back and Christopher’s eyes go wide as saucers.

“You have a guitar?”

“Nah, it’s my friend’s,” Buck explains as he adjusts the strap over his shoulder. “He said I could borrow it for tonight, but that if I break it he’s gonna throw me in the river.”

Christopher is still star struck and Eddie can’t blame him, because Buck makes quite the picture. It’s all Eddie can do to keep his hands to himself.

And it’s like that all night. As they go from house to house, street to street, Eddie has to keep up a constant mantra of ‘don’t touch’ ‘stop staring’. Sometimes one of them carries Christopher, other times he wants to walk on his own, but their little trio makes quite the splash at all the neighborhood houses. Christopher is always proud to announce that he’s the lead singer of the band and usually gets an extra piece of candy or two for the trouble.

At what’s maybe the twentieth house, an elderly woman smiles at them and tells Buck, who’s standing a little farther forward, that they have an adorable son. After a moment’s hesitation, Buck smiles and thanks her.

The air stops in Eddie’s lungs and something in his chest _throbs _with how much he wants. He can picture it perfectly, how happy the three of them could be.

(He doesn’t learn until months later that that’s not the first time Buck’s had the same conversation.)

They make it home and after a thorough shower and a promise to go through all the candy in the morning, they get Christopher to bed. Eddie’s warm with how much Christopher enjoyed the evening, warm with Buck’s staying so late into the night. As he walks the other man to the door, he can’t help but fall to temptation, puts a hand on Buck’s arm to say goodbye and rubs his thumb over the warm skin there, right against the straining fabric of his shirt.

He catches Buck’s eyes and has to swallow at what he finds there, feels a fresh wave of heat travel up his spine. Because Buck’s eyes are dark, and Eddie doesn’t miss the way they flick down to his mouth before meeting his own again.

The air feels charged and thick and suddenly Eddie can’t breathe.

He drops his hand.

“Goodnight, Eddie,” Buck says. He takes a step back towards the door, slow like he has to physically pull himself away. “I’ll see you soon?”

“Yeah, soon.” Eddie stares after him as he leaves, pulls out his phone as soon as his car disappears from view.

_Lunch tomorrow?_

He wonders if that perfect picture is more possible than he’d thought.

\---

It’s late on a Sunday night and tomorrow is Christopher’s first day back at school. Usually, this isn’t cause for too much commotion. They’ve already gotten all the supplies he’ll need, new clothes hanging in the closet, discussions of what to expect long passed. But before this year, Christopher hadn’t been concerned with his style.

Before this year, he hadn’t had Buck taking him shopping and giving him fist bumps and generally making Christopher want to be everything he saw Buck to be.

(Eddie would be jealous if it wasn’t so adorable.)

So here he is, late on a Sunday night, face buried in his hands while Christopher pleads his case.

He wants to make a good first impression.

He wants to look his very best.

He _needs _a haircut before tomorrow.

And, seeing as no salons are open this late, he needs Buck to give it to him.

There are a few problems with that plan, the most pressing being that it’s pushing ten and Christopher should be in his pajamas settling down for the night, not pouting at Eddie in the kitchen. Another is that Buck is on duty until tomorrow afternoon. There’s not really anything Eddie can do short of taking Christopher to the station.

He tells Christopher as much and only gets a smile and a hand held out expectantly.

“I’ll call him. If he says it’s okay, we can go over real quick.”

“And if he can’t?” Eddie asks. He idly wonders if this hasn’t been Christopher’s plan all along. He hadn’t heard anything about wanting a haircut until earlier this evening.

Christopher pouts at him again and Eddie sighs, dials Buck’s number and places it on the table on speakerphone.

It rings for a while, and Eddie wonders if the 118 is out on a call, exchanges a glance with Christopher and another at the clock. There’s a small chance Buck is trying to catch some sleep, but not very likely. Then the line connects and Buck’s voice floats out into the kitchen.

“Eddie? Is everything okay?”

He sounds worried and Eddie starts to reassure him when Christopher bounces excitedly in his chair and covers up whatever he was going to say with his own shout of, “Buck!”

“Christopher?”

“Buck, tell daddy to bring me to the station so you can cut my hair!”

Eddie hears the gust of air as Buck lets out a breath of relief. It’s quickly covered by a laugh. “You know what time it is, kid? Does Eddie even know you have his phone?”

“I’m aware,” Eddie says dryly. “He’s been very insistent since dinner.”

“Tomorrow’s my first day back at school, I want to look my best.”

“Well, guess that does make sense.” There’s a beat of silence as he considers. “It’s been a pretty quiet night, we could probably get it done. You’d have to stop by my place and get the clippers though.”

Christopher perks up immediately, turns to Eddie with bright, expectant eyes.

Eddie shakes his head, but can’t stop the smile. “Go get your shoes.”

Christopher is off immediately and Eddie picks up the phone, presses it to his ear. “You sure it’s okay?”

Buck laughs softly. “Pretty sure nothing short of a burning building would stop that kid now.” There’s a soft breath and Eddie already aches with how much he misses him. “But yeah, it’s okay. See you soon?”

“Yeah, I’ll text you when we’re leaving your place.”

He gets Christopher in the car and thankfully the traffic isn’t too bad getting to Buck’s apartment. He lets himself in with the spare he’s had for over a year and marvels slightly how much walking into Buck’s home has come to feel like walking into his own. Grabbing the clippers from the bathroom, he pauses on his way out just long enough to leave a note on the kitchen counter.

It’s sappy as hell, but Eddie figures he’s earned that right. Dating for going on ten months, connected at the hip for far longer than that, he and Buck are still disgustingly in love and he wouldn’t change it for the world.

By the time they pull into the station it’s edging on eleven and Eddie is seriously questioning his parenting choices. He feels a bit better with how obviously Christopher lights up. He’s always aimed to foster independence and self-confidence in his son, so he figures cheating on bedtime just this once can’t be too bad.

Buck greets them at the door and immediately scoops Christopher into a hug, ruffling his hair then poking his cheek when Christopher puffs them out to a hide his smile.

“You’re supposed to fix my hair, not mess it up more,” Christopher says, any attitude he’s going for ruined by the laughter under each word.

They’ve attracted the attention of the rest of the 118 at this point, and Buck has a little audience this time as he carries Christopher to the kitchen and sets him on a towel, drapes another around his small shoulders. Eddie hands over the clipper set and watches as Buck gets everything ready, oiling the blades and pinning up the soft curls on top of Christopher’s head.

It’s the first time he’s actually gotten to see Buck at work, the look of concentration on his face and the deft movements of his hands. He cradles Christopher’s head like it’s something precious and doesn’t stop until it’s perfect, pulls out a smaller pair of clippers to get behind Christopher’s ears and the back of his neck, brushes a stray hair off his cheek.

Christopher is quiet and still the whole time, eyes open and following Buck whenever he can, obviously vibrating with happiness but trying his very hardest not to break Buck’s concentration. The rest of the room is much the same, talking and joking with each other but not heckling Buck, not when he’s so intent on Christopher.

When Buck finally steps away and declares him done, it’s like a trance is broken.

Hen leans on the counter and whistles. “Who knew you had a second calling, Buck. Sure you wanna keep your day job?”

“Nobody get any ideas, this is for special occasions only.” Buck takes the towel from Christopher’s shoulders and brushes a bit more hair from the nape of his neck.

Chimney snorts. “I’m not letting you near my head with those things. That’s too much power. Who knows what you’d shave into the sides.”

“Trying to give me ideas?” Buck grins and runs a hand through Christopher’s hair one last time. “You’re looking good, bud. Ready for school tomorrow?”

Christopher nods. “Yeah! I’m going to look cool like you.”

Buck’s grin gets wider and he shoots a smug look in Hen and Chimney’s direction.

“You’re going to look sleep deprived like him too if we don’t get you back home and in bed.” Eddie steps up and puts a hand on his son’s shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze when Christopher looks up at him.

“Hey, I don’t look that bad, do I?”

Eddie’s attention is drawn back to Buck and he can’t help but step forward, brush his thumb beneath one of Buck’s eyes. “Your bags have bags, Buck.” He grins and steps closer, presses a kiss to his cheek. “You could never look bad though.”

There’s a soft gagging sound somewhere behind them but Eddie ignores it, smiles at Buck softly and gives the back of his neck a gentle squeeze before stepping back and telling Christopher it’s time to go.

They don’t make it home until close to midnight, but Christopher is happy in the backseat the whole ride home. He’s happy the next morning, too, grinning from ear to ear as Eddie takes his picture in the front yard.

His first day back at school is a success, and Eddie has the photo to prove it hung on his fridge for years to come.

\---

It’s been a long fucking day. Eddie feels stretched to the limit, cracking at the seams under the pressure and the visceral _fear _that’s still lingering even hours later.

Christopher had fallen. He had fallen and hit his head and Eddie remembers watching in slow motion, unable to do anything, as it happened. There had been so much blood, seeping out across the pavement as Christopher cried, Eddie trying to keep him still as he assessed him for any further injuries.

Rationally, he knew head wounds bled badly. He knew Christopher hadn’t fallen from anywhere high, hadn’t been going fast. But it felt like all his training went out the window when it came to his own son.

He’d called 911 just to be safe. Because he couldn’t drive Christopher to the hospital on his own and keep pressure on the wound. Because Christopher was already crying at the idea of letting him go, was crying that he wanted Buck to come.

And Eddie understands, he does. The shock of the injury and the sight of all the blood. The sudden appearances of paramedics and the confusion of the ambulance ride. It was enough to make him want to cry and he did this for his job.

He felt like he couldn’t fully take a breath until they were in the ER, a doctor carefully shaving away a patch of Christopher’s curls to reveal the cut underneath, confirming Eddie’s prediction that a few stitches and a lot of rest where all that was on the horizon. Christopher would be fine.

Now, Eddie is holding onto Christopher’s hand, phone in his free hand dialing Buck.

He picks up after a couple of rings.

“Hey, where are you guys? Thought you’d be home by now.”

Eddie takes a breath and gives Christopher’s hand an encouraging squeeze as the doctor prepares a numbing shot.

“We’re at the hospital, actually. Christopher hit his head.”

“Is he okay? Eddie, shi-”

“You’re on speakerphone,” Eddie cuts in, both for Christopher’s young ears and to forestall the panic he can feel radiating from Buck through the phone. “Christopher is fine, but is about to get some stitches and wanted you to be here.”

“Oh, yeah, of course.” There’s a lot of banging and rustling on the other end and then Buck comes back, breathless. “I can be there in like, twenty minutes.”

“Buck, the hospital is at least a thirty minute drive away in normal traffic,” Eddie chastises softly. The last thing they need today is another accident. “Just stay on the line and Christopher can look forward to seeing you at home and being spoiled rotten.”

That gets a watery smile from Christopher, whose crying has momentarily lessened, but Eddie knows it’s bound to start up again as soon as the doctor starts poking needles into his skin.

“Alright,” Buck says. “You there, Christopher?”

Christopher hitches in a shaky breath and reaches for the phone. “Uh huh.” He sniffles and wipes a bit at his face. “They’re gonna give me a shot first.”

“Okay. That should help make the rest hurt less.” He huffs out a breath. “Hang in there for me, kid. You’re gonna be okay. You’re the bravest guy I know.”

“Brave like you?” Christopher asks softly.

“Even braver,” Buck answers.

Eddie nods at the doctor, who steadies Christopher’s head then pokes the needle in, pressing down on the plunger in a quick, practiced move. Christopher makes a pained noise and fresh tears run down his cheeks, but he doesn’t try to pull away, just holds tighter to Eddie’s hand and the phone.

It’s the hardest part and they’re through it. They let the numbing take effect and before long Christopher has a neat line of bright blue stitches in his scalp and is dozing on Eddie’s shoulder as they get checked out. They’ve wiped most of the blood off his skin and hair and Eddie’s washed his hands thoroughly in the sink. They look less like victims of a slasher film and more like real people.

Eddie knows they still don’t look good, though, and that’s only confirmed with the way Buck’s face pales as soon as they walk through the door.

“Eddie, shit,” Buck murmurs, mindful of Christopher sleeping in Eddie’s arms. “You two look like you’ve been through hell.”

Eddie gives him a tired smile. “Just the ER, but close enough. It looks worse than it is.” He angles his body so Buck can see the line of stitches on Christopher’s head. “It bled a lot, but the doctor says it should heal up just fine.”

Buck nods, taking them both in. “Want me to hold him while you take a quick shower? Think you could use it.”

“Yeah,” Eddie runs a hand over his face, knows he needs to clean up but can’t stop thinking about all the things he still needs to do before they can all go to bed.

“I can get him started in the bath,” Buck says, smiling at the grateful look Eddie sends him. He takes Christopher from Eddie’s arms then gives him a gentle nudge with his hip. “Go, we’ll be just down the hall.”

So he goes.

The hot water feels amazing against his tired muscles and he allows himself an extra minute just to stand beneath the stream and let some of the tension drain away. He knows Christopher is safe with Buck.

He scrubs away every lingering trace of blood and steps out of the shower feeling a thousand times better than before. There’s something inarguable about the magic of a simple shower.

Before long, all three of them are clean and warm and ready for bed. He and Buck tuck Christopher in together, smiling in relief when the boy is snoring before they’re even out of the room. It makes it that much easier for Eddie to fall into bed himself, staring up at the ceiling and tracing patterns into the warm skin of Buck’s back until sleep finally claims him as well.

And he sleeps like a rock, if the next morning is anything to go by. The sun has long since been up by the time he cracks his eyes open and a glance at the clock tells him someone had turned off his alarm. He can’t find it in himself to be upset though, not when he finds a message from Bobby on his phone telling him that Buck explained the situation and someone was covering his shift for the day.

And especially not when he makes his way downstairs, finds the smell of bacon and eggs wafting from the kitchen.

“Buck?” Christopher asks. There’s something uncharacteristically nervous about the way he says it that has Eddie stopping just outside the door.

Buck’s heard it too, if the sound of him putting down whatever he’s holding is anything to go by. “Yeah, bud?”

“Can you cut my hair?” Christopher asks. “But, not like before. I want you to cut it all. Even the curls on top.”

Buck pauses for a moment. “Sure I can, kid. Can I ask why?”

“Because I don’t like how they cut it at the hospital. I know why they had to, but I don’t like it. I want you to make it look cool again. And it’ll grow back, right?”

“Yeah, it’ll grow back. And I’d be happy to cut it for you, but did you talk to your dad about it?” Christopher makes a small, guilty sound and Eddie peeks around the corner in time to see Buck kneel down in front of where Christopher’s sat at the table. “I think you should.”

Christopher looks down. Eddie has to strain to hear him. “But, you always said he’d get mad if you shaved off my curls.”

“I think for this he’d make an exception,” Buck says. “Why don’t we ask when he wakes up? If he isn’t sure, I’ll help explain.”

Christopher nods, small smile on his face as he reaches out to touch Buck’s cheek. “Love you, kid.”

Buck’s bigger hand curls over Christopher’s, squeezing gently. “Love you, too.” He keeps hold of Christopher’s hand as he stands, giving it a light shake. “Now how about we go see what’s taking that dad of yours so long? Maybe he got tangled up in all the covers and we have to help him escape.”

Christopher giggles and Eddie takes that as his cue to enter, shaking his head and walking over to give both his boys a kiss on the temple. “No rescues necessary. But I appreciate the offer.”

Buck gives Christopher’s hand another small squeeze and Christopher turns to look up at Eddie with big, worried eyes.

“Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Can Buck cut my hair again? Even the curls on top?” He lets go of Buck’s hand and reaches for Eddie, wrapping both arms around his neck when Eddie picks him up. “Buck says it’ll grow back, so you shouldn’t get mad at him for cutting it.”

“I won’t get mad,” Eddie says. “If it’s what you want to do, then I’ll support you. And if Buck doesn’t mind doing it, then it’s fine with me.”

Christopher immediately goes lax in relief, flopping over Eddie’s shoulder. “Thank you daddy.”

And that’s how they end up in the bathroom after breakfast, Eddie supporting Christopher over the tub while Buck gives him the first official buzz cut of his life. They’re careful to make sure no rouge hairs get near his stitches and it doesn’t take long at all before they’re carefully rinsing everything down and letting Christopher take a look at himself in the mirror.

With all of his hair so short, the stitches are quite visible and Eddie worries for a moment that Christopher’s going to be upset, but he just grins and looks at Buck.

“Now we match!” He reaches out from his place in Eddie’s arms and runs his fingers over the slight scaring around Buck’s eye from the tsunami. “Will I get a cool scar like you?”

Eddie holds his breath, but Buck just smiles, doesn’t make any move to remove Christopher’s hand from his face. “I don’t know, kid. But you’ll look real cool either way.”

Christopher beams and Eddie leans over to press a careful kiss to Buck’s cheek.

They’re going to be just fine.

\---

“Buck, I love you, but I swear to god if you don’t stop fidgeting I'm going to throw something through the window. Possibly you.”

Maddie is sitting on a chair against the wall, one hand rubbing at her forehead and the other resting on her stomach.

Buck smiles sheepishly at her. “Sorry, Mads.”

They’re waiting in the back room of the church, sequestered away while all their guests file through the door and get settled for the ceremony. It’s still over half an hour until they have to make their entrance, and Eddie can tell Buck is struggling to make it that long. They’ve thankfully decided to forgo the tradition of not seeing each other until the ceremony, because it means Eddie can step closer to Buck’s side and rub a comforting hand at the small of his back.

“Less than an hour and we’ll be up at the altar. Then we can party with everyone and forget all the stressful lead up.”

Buck nods quietly and goes to sit beside Maddie, laying his head on her shoulder and burying his face in the fabric there. Eddie feels his absence like a sudden cold spot at his side. He and Maddie exchange a look over Buck’s head, worried but not surprised.

Maddie strokes through his hair for a minute or two, then makes a show of shifting uncomfortably and huffing out a breath. “Gotta go to the bathroom, Buck. I swear this baby’s shrunk my bladder to the size of a quarter.”

Buck lets her up, gives her a grin that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Don’t fall in.”

“How could I? I hardly fit through the door.” Maddie laughs and pats his cheek. “I’ll be sitting front row to take pictures when you swoon in Eddie’s arms.”

Buck rolls his eyes and his smile looks a little more real for a moment, but it falls as soon as she’s through the door, leaving just the two of them in their little space. Their wedding party will be coming by soon, mostly members of the 118 and a couple people Eddie served with in Afghanistan, but for now it’s just Eddie, Buck, and whatever has Buck looking ready to get sick and/or bolt out the door.

Without a word, Eddie takes Maddie’s seat, puts an arm around Buck’s shoulders and pulls him down to lean against his shoulder.

“You doing okay, Ev?”

Eddie feels him shift, feels the way he presses into the side of Eddie’s neck, breathes him in and hides his face in the process.

Neither of them says anything for a long time, but Eddie hears Buck’s fears in his slow, deliberate breaths, in the way he’s got a hand tangled in the shirt beneath Eddie’s suit jacket and hasn’t let go.

“I love you, you know,” he says softly, presses a kiss to the top of Buck’s hair. “You’re stuck with me, Buckley, wedding or not.”

He jostles Buck playfully and gets a small laugh in return. The entire world seems to right itself again when Buck sits up, nudges Eddie back with a grin. “Love you, too. And I’m pretty sure I’ve already proven what it takes to keep me away. A fire truck… a tsunami…”

Eddie shoves him a bit harder. “Yeah, yeah, you’re a master at cheating death. Let’s not get back in the habit of it.”

It’s then that there’s a small knock on the door. Eddie calls for them to come in, already pretty sure he knows who it is, and sure enough Christopher’s small face peeks into the room a moment later.

Carla is behind him, and she waves to both of the boys after making sure Christopher is safely inside. He walks right over to Buck and drops a familiar bag in his lap.

“Abuela says I need a haircut.” He bumps against Buck’s legs and smiles innocently.

Buck groans out a laugh, picks Christopher up and puts him on the chair beside him. “Your timing is incredible, as always. You’re going to have hair all over your suit though.”

Eddie clears is throat and pulls a stack of towels out of a corner, laying one out on the ground and handing the other to Buck to drape around Christopher’s shoulders.

Christopher’s smile gets even bigger. “No it won’t!”

Buck looks between them suspiciously. “Why do I feel like this was planned?”

Christopher shrugs. “Dad said you might be nervous and that this could help you feel better. _And _my hair will look really good for all the pictures, too.”

“You two are nothing but trouble.” Buck shakes his head, but there’s a smile on his face and a looseness to his shoulders that has Eddie relaxing as well. Buck’s done this enough times now that he knows exactly what he’s doing, doesn’t take much time at all before he’s got everything ready to go and is sliding the clippers along the sides of Christopher’s head, filling the room with the low hum of oscillating blades.

He’s about three-quarters of the way done when there’s another knock on the door and the rest of the wedding party files in. There’s comments about how they both clean up nice, how ridiculously long it took them to get here, how much money they made people lose in the betting pool...

The room is quickly full of laughter and Eddie has never been more thankful to have such a warm, supportive family around him.

Buck’s hesitance from earlier is completely gone and he’s laughing along with everyone else as he finishes up Christopher’s hair. Hen and Bobby descend with lint rollers in both hands to clean up every piece of stray hair that might’ve gotten on their suits.

Finally, it’s time to go and everyone heads into the hall to line up, still whispering and laughing even as the music starts. They begin to enter, but Eddie only has eyes for Buck, pulling him in for one final kiss before the one that will join them together in front of all their friends and family.

And as they stand together at the altar, he can’t help but think everything is exactly as it should be.

Christopher beams at them from the front row.

\---

\---

3 years later

“Dad? How much longer is Buck going to sleep?”

Eddie looks down the hallway to the closed door at the end, feels something tighten in his chest. “Not sure, kid. Why don’t we see if he wants some breakfast?”

Christopher nods and together they make their way to the master bedroom, Eddie picking up Christopher as they get to the bed so they can both look down at Buck still asleep beneath the covers. It’s past ten in the morning and normally Eddie would have woken him up hours ago (normally, Buck wouldn’t need much waking up at all).

But Eddie knows how long it took Buck to get to sleep last night, knows he’s been uncomfortable and in pain and reluctant to take any of the pain meds or sleeping aids he was given. Still, he does need to eat at some point, and tiring him out with Christopher might help him take a nap in the afternoon.

He sets Christopher down on the edge of the bed then starts to rub gently at Buck’s back. It doesn’t take long for Buck to make a soft, unhappy sound. “Hey, baby,” Eddie says softly. “You feel up to eating something?”

Buck makes another noise and his eyes crack open the barest amount, taking in the darkened room before flicking over to the bedside clock. “Overslept again, didn’t I? Sorry.” He makes to sit up and Eddie jumps to help him, offering a sturdy hand on his back to help him sit up and swing his legs off the side of the bed. He carefully, innocuously, pushes the covers out of Buck’s way.

“Don’t worry about it. You’re still healing and Christopher and I are perfectly capable of entertaining ourselves for a few more mornings. Aren’t we, bud?”

“Yeah. Buck’s pancakes are better than yours, though.” Christopher grins and flops down in the spot Buck vacated. “I’ll survive until you’re feeling better though, Buck. Then I want pancakes for a whole week in a row.”

Buck laughs and Eddie shakes his head. “We’ll see about that. For now, let’s help Buck get settled in the living room, okay?”

“Okay! I call next to Buck though.” He scoots off the bed and Eddie helps him get settled on his crutches.

Buck stands up a moment later, not quite able to cover the wince as he does so, but Eddie knows he’s still going to refuse the pain meds Eddie will offer him with breakfast. Sometimes Buck’s stubborn streak doesn’t let him see reason.

Breakfast for Buck isn’t pancakes, but a smoothie, set on an end table in front of him on the couch so he can eat when he feels like and not have to rely on Eddie to feed him. His right arm is still restrained tightly to his body and his left hand is covered in painful scratches. They’re lucky it isn’t worse though. A small gas explosion in the kitchen of the house they’d been clearing had sent Buck through a window, landing hard on his shoulder and into a pile of glass.

His right arm is out of commission for a month at least, but his left hand should be healed up before too long, tender but serviceable for eating, operating a remote, and other everyday things.

They’re halfway through El Dorado when Christopher glances up at them, pulling away from where he’s been snuggled into Buck’s good side to stare at how Buck’s been leaning back against Eddie’s chest, dozing in and out while Eddie pushes careful fingers through his hair. It’s longer than usual and Eddie has been alternating between moving it off his forehead and scratching lightly at his scalp. Christopher watches them for a moment longer then gets a look on his face that Eddie has come to learn means trouble.

He maneuvers himself off the couch and onto his crutches, telling them he’ll be right back before disappearing down the hall.

There’s a beat of silence, then Buck cracks open an eye. “Should we be afraid?”

“He did have that look on his face.”

Buck chuckles softly. “Definitely afraid.”

Neither of them moves to see what he’s up to though, and before long their curiosity is answered when Christopher walks back in with the clipper bag hanging from one wrist.

“Buck’s hair is getting too long. We should help him cut it.” He walks over in front of them and smiles at Buck. “You always help me cut my hair, so now I can help you.”

Buck blinks. “A hair cut?”

“Yeah, you said last week that you wanted to cut it soon but then you fell.” He jiggles the bag a little. “Dad will help me. Right, dad?”

Eddie looks down at Buck’s stunned expression. “Maybe we can help by bringing Buck to a barber, how about that?”

“No, Buck always does it himself. And I want to help!”

Buck sighs and leans heavier into Eddie’s chest. “Well, I won’t be leaving the house for at least another week so if I’m going to let the two of you near my hair, might as well be now.”

“Hey, we’re going to do a _great_job,” Christopher pouts.

“I’m sure you are, kid. Guess it’ll be nice to get it out of my face.”

Christopher beams and Buck starts to stand, Eddie following a moment after. He’s honestly a little surprised that Buck is agreeing to this. He’s let Eddie help him shave and shower, but his hair has always been strictly off limits, even when he’s healthy. He doesn’t let anyone but himself near it with clippers, scissors, or even product.

Christopher just has that effect on people, he supposes.

They get Buck settled on the edge of the bathtub in the master bath and Eddie gently drapes a towel across his shoulders while Christopher starts asking which guides they need to use. He picks out the correct ones while Eddie oils the blades and with a snap and a click they’re off to the races.

Christopher insists on holding the clippers, but Eddie puts his hand over top, keeping them steady as they start with the longest guide setting. Little bits of hair fall into the tub and onto the towel and Eddie sends up a silent prayer that they don’t mess up too badly. He resolves to buy Buck any number of hats he wants if they do.

They make it through the initial pass without issue and before long they’re moving to shorter guides, cutting down the sides and using the smaller clipper to clean up behind the ears and at the back of the neck. Christopher is obviously quite pleased with the results and Eddie has to admit he’s pleasantly surprised as well. It’s certainly not as good as what Buck does himself, much simpler and not as smooth, but it’s gotten him cleaned up a bit and he shouldn’t feel embarrassed going out in public.

Eddie starts cleaning up a bit as Buck stands and looks in the mirror, Christopher fidgeting eagerly beside him as he waits for the verdict.

“I thought you were sleeping all those times I cut your hair, guess you were paying attention after all.” He looks down at Christopher and brushes the backs of his knuckles against his cheek. “You did a good job.”

“I told you!” He gets an even more excited look on his face. “Can we take a picture and send it to abuela? Maybe she can help me make a hairstylist costume for Halloween this year.”

“I’m sure she’d love to,” Eddie says as he finishes putting everything back in the case. “But I’m also sure Buck wants to clean up a bit before we take any pictures. So how about you go and finish the movie while Buck and I finish up in here?”

Christopher agrees with minimal complaints and Eddie quickly finishes cleaning up all the towels and stray hair. Then he turns to Buck, takes in the darkness under his eyes and the way he’s leaning heavily on the counter. It’s obvious he’s still in pain, and anyone who knows Buck knows how hard it is for him to be away from work, to feel like he’s not doing anything worthwhile.

Eddie steps up between Buck’s legs and cups his face in one hand. “Hey,” he says softly. “Gonna let me take care of you for a bit?”

“Thought you just did.” Buck offers him a crooked smile, obviously tired but trying to be as much like his normal self for his and Christopher’s sake. Eddie would be lying if he said it didn’t break his heart a little.

He rubs a thumb along Buck’s cheekbone, under his eye. “You know that’s not what I mean, baby.” He tries again. “Can I take care of you?”

Buck’s eyes flutter shut and Eddie takes that as permission enough, leans forward and presses a careful kiss to his lips that eventually melts into something more, something that has Buck moaning softly into his mouth, has him whining when Eddie finally pulls away.

He helps Buck out of his clothes while the bath fills, carefully removes the complicated brace on his arm and traces gentle fingers over the scrapes that thicken at his bicep and shoulder. It’s moments like these where he’s truly struck with how lucky he is to still have Buck in his life. That he hasn’t been taken away.

Buck drifts while Eddie washes him, humming softly when Eddie asks if something’s okay and otherwise giving himself over to Eddie’s careful hands. Eddie makes sure to treat that like the gift it is. Savors every moment of it. Traces reverent fingers over every inch of skin he can reach.

And when Buck finally stands, clean and dripping onto the bath mat, Eddie has to take a moment to appreciate just how beautiful he is. The strong lines of his body and every mark that Eddie knows as if they were his own.

Buck looks over at him when he notices the pause, flushes a little when he notices Eddie’s staring. “What?”

“You’re beautiful, Evan.” He starts drying Buck off, careful to avoid any of the angry red marks on his skin. Buck stares down at him, past all his scars, and Eddie can see the uncertainty there, the doubt. Eddie can’t stand to see him question what is so obviously true. “You are. I could spend days tracing every inch of you and it still wouldn’t be enough.”

He leans forward and catches Buck’s mouth in another kiss, lets this one linger until Buck shivers slightly against him, goosepimples springing up on his skin. He finishes drying him off between kisses to his neck, his jaw, his temple. Just above his heart.

When they go out into the room, Buck quietly stands by Eddie’s dresser, a slight blush on his cheeks. Eddie reads the request loud and clear, feels a heat rise up in his chest that has him kissing Buck soundly against the dresser before putting him in his softest flannel and a spare pair of sweats. He kisses him again in apology before strapping his arm back in its sling.

Christopher has already started a new movie by the time they make it back out to the couch, reclaiming his spot at Buck’s side as soon as they sit down. Eddie breathes in and feels Buck as a sturdy weight against his chest, growing even heavier as Buck eventually falls asleep, freshly cut hair tickling the side of Eddie’s neck.

He’ll need to start lunch soon and get Christopher started on homework, but for now, he lets himself settle, lets himself sink into the feeling that surrounds them. The feeling of family.

The feeling of _home._

He’d never have it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> on tumblr, same username. come yell at me and i'll probably write more fic


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